Author Notes:I love a good minestrone...so much veggie goodness, but so hearty, too. This recipe starts with just a little bit of all-natural bacon, but if you'd rather leave it out, go ahead and proceed with the rest of the recipe. You won't get the smoky flavor, but you'll still get a great soup (you could also substitute pancetta for the bacon, but obviously you won't do that if you are a vegetarian!). I didn't add any salt to the soup because the bacon and my homemade chicken stock did the trick, but please add it to taste, if necessary. As for the pesto, I went the hand-chopped route here because it's a small batch, I didn't want to drag out the food processor, and I wanted to use a minimal amount of olive oil. I made the pesto with parsley, which I love, but feel free to use basil instead. You can also use your own favorite homemade or store-bought pesto instead of this one, if you prefer. - WinnieAb —WinnieAb

Food52 Review: We love WinnieAb's proclivity for combining delicious, nutritious ingredients (like the many vegetables in this soup) with a touch of the indulgent (bacon, cheese tortellini). The smokiness of the bacon permeates the minestrone, imbuing the tomatoey broth with a depth of flavor it wouldn't have otherwise. The bright, rustic pesto (we used parsley, but basil would be great too) is a superb final addition, adding a garlicky, herbal kick. - A&M
—The Editors

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook for a couple of minutes, until they start to brown.

Add 2 more tablespoons of oil along with the chopped onion, garlic and leek. Continue to cook, strirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened.

Add the chopped carrot, celery, zucchini, potato and stir around for a minute or two.

Add the stock, the chickpeas, and then the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you go. Add a few generous pinches of salt (be judicious if your stock is salted already). Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender.

Add the kale and the tortellini, and continue to cook over a simmer until both are tender and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve garnished with a spoonful of the pesto, a few drops of the aged balsamic, and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Parsley or Basil Pesto

1
cup loosely packed basil or parsley

2
tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

2
cloves garlic, peeled

2
tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1
tablespoon olive oil

Chop, chop, and chop the basil or parsley some more by hand until it's very fine...when you do this, you'll reduce it down to about 1/4 cup.

As you chop the basil, start to incorporate the other ingredients and chop them fine, too, until you have a lovely, finely chopped pesto.

Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the olive oil. Use as a garnish for the minestrone.

Made this delicious soup on the weekend and it was my BEST soup attempt yet! Delicious, hearty and the bacon really shines to create a delicious smokiness but doesn't taste too meaty/heavy. The tortellini, cheese and pesto are a perfect addition to this delicious dish! lots of prep, but quite easy for such an impressive dish. Yum!

I made this lovely soup for 2 and froze multiple individual servings for later. I was sad to see the last one disappear tonight!! P.S. Starting with the best bacon is key- the flavor really carries the dish, while I feel that the veggies you have available could come in handy for this one... Don't stress if you don't have every green on the list!

This is absolutely a favorite here, I've made it twice now and both times it was awesome! I find it very flavorful even before the pesto which takes it over the top, so not sure what's happening with some reviewers. I do cook the bacon separately the only change. The pesto is just amazing with the soup, made once with basil and once with parsley both are great ( use your mini prep here it's just nuts to chop the pesto!). San Marzano tomatoes are not to be substituted! The amount of vegetables is up to your taste not to be stressed over. LOve this recipe! Thank you.

This was delicious. I'm a vegetarian, so I substituted some shallots fried with a touch of liquid smoke for the bacon, but otherwise followed the recipe. The add-ins at the end are a MUST. Never eat your soup naked.

Fantastico! I also had to make some adjustments based on available ingredients and used bacon grease to sauté the veggies in, fava beans instead of chickpeas and added some leftover small meatballs. Delizioso!!!

I've made this twice now, once exactly as the recipe stated and it was delicious. Today I was a bit more restricted in available ingredients, I had to swap celery for broccoli, chickpeas for cannellini beans, leeks for spring onions, tortellini for Farfalle and pine nuts for almonds, and it still turned out amazing! Great recipe.

I substituted a few shakes of smoked paprika for the bacon to make it vegetarian and it was fantastic! Usually, I find that one minestrone is rather like another, but the pesto really made this one extraordinary. I will definitely make it again.

I'm not a huge fan of minestrone soup but this one looked too good to pass up. And I was right! Absolutely delicious and the addition of the pesto is genius. So flavorful... it will definitely become a winter staple in my house.

I made this for the first time yesterday and loved it! (As did all of my guests!) I agree that the pesto is a wonderful and lively addition to the flavors. I used the suggested amount of tortellini and thought it was too much bulk in the soup...so next time will use less (or maybe try without). But will DEFINITELY make this again. LOVED it!! Thank you.

Was about to make this dish this weekend and it was great. We used basil pesto, which for me made a big impact. My only issue was not with the recipe but with the frozen tortellini I used, which unfortunately were a bit on the tough and heavy side. I plan on making it again with a better, fresher tortellini. Really terrific flavors and very healthy.

This is a fantastic recipe. I made it pretty much as written, except used cannelini beans instead of chickpeas. So hearty and absolutely delicious. It needed no extra salt. Between the chicken stock, the parmesan, and the pesto, it had plenty of taste already. Served it with toasted ciabatta rolls. Plus, lots of leftovers! This will be a new "go-to" meal for the winter.

I have a question about the recipe "Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini and Parsley or Basil Pesto" from WinnieAb.I would love to make this soup tonight and I'm wondering if you have a suggestion on what brand of Tortellini to use. This looks fabulous! Can't wait to eat it.